Campus Ministry - the Incoming Student “Sweet-Spot”
Every campus ministry knows that the single most important time for growth is during the first few weeks on campus. What would it look like if you already knew a strong set of incoming Freshmen, whom you could coordinate with over the summer, and be ready to help you relationally meet new incoming freshmen?
What should we as campus ministries do now?
Reversing the 70% Faith Drop-out
Freshmen reaching Freshmen
Connecting High School Students to Ministries in Advance
It has been demonstrated that churches and Christian schools who assure that all students are connected before they leave home, see the 70% loss almost vanish. They return to energize their youth groups at Christmas with stories of growth and leading others to Christ when non-believers are most open — during the first months on campus. This is a movement to make this normal in every city, and to help spawn revivals among freshmen on college campuses.
CHELSEA’S STORY
When incoming freshmen at Orientation already know the ministry leaders, some Christian students to connect with, and the schedule of Christian events, it’s easy for them to be confident and invite their new non-believing dorm friends. This is first time in their lives are not connected to peer groups, and really want to meet people, and are open re-inventing themselves. See InterVarsity article we wrote.
Chelsea had seen many of her older friends fall away from their faith in college. She did some research and learned that this happens to 7 out of 10 students, and she was determined to not let it happen to her. Through a website that she used, Chelsea was able to find the Navigators at the University of Nebraska and was able to meet the leaders and other students involved in the ministry over the summer. This also helped her find a Christian roommate.
Her first night on campus, four girls in her dorm invited Chelsea and her roommate to a party. Chelsea convinced them all to go to a Navigators hangout instead. Today, a couple of years later, all six are still a part of the Navigators and are strongly walking with Christ!
HOW FRESHMEN SURVIVE, THRIVE, AND START AWAKENINGS
A FALL DORM REVIVAL
The best people to reach freshen are other freshmen themselves. A number of years ago in an InterVarsity chapter in Geneseo, New York, a student whole-heartedly put their faith in Jesus during freshmen orientation, with a wonderful transformation. This was the first time that many of the InterVarsity freshmen had seen one of their peers impacted by the grace of God, and they became so energized that 26 other students coming to Christ in his dorm that semester. The students came back to their youth groups for Christmas with stories of growth, great friends, and participation that energized their youth groups with vision. We want to see this “feedback” loop become normal in all churches.
It’s important for students to realize that the lowest hanging fruit for evangelism is in the first few weeks of the school year before the freshmen are connected to new peer groups. Everyone is meeting and greeting, so it is easy to invite freshmen to ministry barbecues, frisbee, Bible studies, or Large Group meetings. Christian students finding good mentors, study partners, and friends from their ministry can lead to incredible growth in their spiritual maturity, which is vital during that first year of college. Campus ministries can now partner with incoming students over the summer to empower them in their dorms. More steps below.
Students Share - What Freshmen should know!
Blessings of Connecting in Advance
Black Rock Congregational Church in Fairfield CT used to experience the typical 70% loss upon graduation. “Last year I had all of my high school students participate in the YTN Video Material. All were greatly challenged to be spiritually ready for college. Most were blown away by the idea that their first 72 hours at college were the most important in staying strong in their faith. As they have started college, they say that much of what they learned from the videos was true about their first days at college. Many of them were able to find Christian roommates and were already plugged into campus ministries because of LiveAbove.com. The result? All of our graduates continued in their faith and connected to ministries! “ - Jeremy Taylor, HS Director, Black Rock Community Church, CT
Next Steps for People & Churches you Know:
What Campus Ministries can do Today
The first days of Freshmen Orientation and the weeks that follow are the critical time to optimize. Here are some things that you can do during Spring to get ready: (note the above database will be updated with fresh information)
- Coordinate with your local campus ministries to set up welcoming events from the first day orientation. Publish a schedule of all Christian campus events for August and September.
- Set up a Facebook page or group for incoming Christians begin to connect relationally, form a sense of community, and give them updates on how to prepare and connect with you in advance for new student out reach. Send this page to them, and ask them to share with their friends.
- Send this link www.CampusRenewal.org/Preparing-for-College to any local pastors you know, and invite local high school juniors and seniors to attend your Spring and Fall meetings regardless of which college they will attend. Some will probably end up at your school and the rest will be better prepared for success. If you want, you can cc: John Decker at john@BelieversCollegePrep.com and offer that I an explain more fully. They can also call or text me at 315-480-1232.
- Do the same for any pastors or leaders you know from your home town or elsewhere
Connection Steps for Students
(Ministry Data to be Updated)
Transitioning in the Faith
Most Christian high school students (80%) intend to continue their faith walk in college. However, 7 in 10 are blindsided and walk away… By age 30, only a third of these have returned to church and have already made the major life decisions. What if they could return home for Thanksgiving and share stories of growth and seeing students come to Christ, rather than being aloof and cool to faith. USA Today says that the freshmen year is the most dangerous time in the life of a teenager. The good news: We’ve seen that any church or school whose parents and students viewed these videos then actually connected to campus ministries via the LiveAbove.com website, went from losing the typical 70% to keeping most. We hope you enjoy the tools on this site to help your family, church, and school, make a real difference for seniors going off to college and juniors selecting colleges with solid campus ministries. Students are now discovering that the most open time in a non-believer’s life to hear and see the gospel lived out - is the first 3 weeks on a college campus, while they want to meet everyone and have not settled into a peer group. Freshmen are the best to reach them, but need to connect with other freshmen and upperclassmen to help. 90% of people come to faith before the age of 24 and the largest number of college students do so the first months on campus. Freshmen are the best to relationally reach other freshmen, IF they are prepared. .